Oysters With Bloody Mary Granita Food

BLOODY MARY GRANITA

Steps:

• Whisk the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, parsley, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon celery salt in a large bowl. Juice half of the lemon; add to the bowl along with the olive juice. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a bowl and stir in the vodka; cover and freeze until ready to serve (it will not solidify). Pour the remaining tomato juice mixture into a baking dish, cover and freeze at least 3 hours, stirring with a fork after 30 minutes to break up any ice crystals.
• When ready to serve, scrape the granita with a fork so that the texture is similar to crushed ice. Cut the remaining lemon half into 8 wedges. Thread 2 pieces celery, 2 olives and 2 lemon wedges onto 4 skewers, alternating the garnishes. Mix the paprika and remaining 1/2 teaspoon celery salt on a plate. Moisten the rim of 4 glasses with a damp paper towel and spin them in the seasoning to coat. Pour some of the vodka mixture into each glass and top with the granita; garnish with the skewers and serve with a straw and spoon.

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH WATERMELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Puree watermelon in a blender until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a 5-by-9-inch nonreactive loaf pan; discard solids. Stir in lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
• Scrape granita with a fork until fluffy. Freeze again while shucking oysters.
• Shuck oysters, and arrange on a bed of crushed ice. Garnish ice with lemon zest. Top each oyster with 1 to 2 teaspoons granita toward the narrow end of the oyster shell.